The Battle Within
by MixedBreedMaiya
Summary: Third&final installment of MTMTE - With the return of Cruxis, a second journey brings the group back together. But as they go, the expecting mother suddenly starts getting distant. What is she hiding, why, and can they stop Mithos' unintended legacy?
1. Antsy

Okay. Here's the deal. I deleted The Silent Voice, because… Well… While I am quite proud of pieces of it, it really wasn't the best fanfic in history. Some of it was even very OOC, I think, and that bugs me, _a lot_. SO. In its place, I am putting this new story. This will be the **new third and final installment of the More Than Meets the Eye trilogy.**

Raine: Hopefully one in which you do not _kill _us all.

Are you still bitter about that? Sheesh. Let it go, and do my disclaimer, please.

Raine: If I must. MixedBreedMaiya does not own Tales of Symphonia or anything associated with such. May I go now?

Nope. You have to stay and keep me company.

Raine: …Oh, brother…

**Special thanks:**

**God**

**Namco. HUZZAH FOR THE SEQUEL, COMING NOVEMBER 30!**

**Readers. You're all so great, and thank you so much for the support you did give me in The Silent Voice. I sincerely hope you like this one.**

--

"…Regal. You sound like an idiot; stop it."

Rolling her violet-tinted blue eyes – which held perhaps just a _touch _of amusement to those who knew her enough to look beyond the chiding irritation – she returned to dusting. She couldn't cook; she couldn't do laundry. Cleaning, however, was something she fancied herself capable of accomplishing without incident. She had taken it upon herself, in the past year of their marriage, to play the maid. He could, and _should_, as far as they were both concerned, handle most aspects of the stereotyped homemaker. But if she could keep their home clean and neat without blowing it up, then by golly, she was going to. …Unfortunately, the revelation of two months prior that she carried a child was making him antsy, and annoyingly protective.

"Raine, I told you: leave the housework to me. _You _are supposed to be resting."

"I will not be a vegetable for the next three months, Regal. The child is nowhere near arriving, and I feel fine. _You _work all day. Therefore, allow me some small sense of usefulness." Did all expectant fathers get like this? Since they had received the startling news, Regal had practically been begging her to sit down and relax every time she took two or three steps across the room. Oh, how she hoped this would pass when he got used to the idea. Eventually he had to realize that being pregnant did not mean she was dying. They still had a quarter of a year to go until they welcomed their son or daughter, and Raine knew she wouldn't be able to take his fidgeting and jumpiness for another ninety days. Maybe she needed to keep a stock of sedatives, the half-elf mused to herself.

As she brushed strands of soft, silvery hair from her deceptively delicate features, she felt him slip his arms around her. She realized too late that his motive for this was not a simple display of affection, but rather an attempt to take from her the cloth she had been using. "Is it so hard for you to accept concern for your well-being from another?" he asked, speaking right next to her pointed ear.

"Is it so hard for you to accept that I wish to be treated as myself, rather than a fragile invalid? I keep waiting for you to start tip-toeing across the floor in fear of breaking me with too heavy a footfall." Her voice was sarcastic. "Surely I have proved to you by now that I am a capable woman."

He drew his fingers backward through her hair, combing it gently. "Indeed. A very capable woman – who is also exceedingly stubborn, and who happens to be my love, and carrying my child. Raine, I am not doing this simply because I'm afraid for you. Yes, I am on edge, and I will take these precautions regardless of what you say – however, has it occurred to you that perhaps I am trying to do something nice for you? To indulge you as you won't yourself?"

Here he withdrew one of his hands briefly. When he wrapped his arm back around her, he held a lily before her nose, such that the sweet scent tickled it. Shaking her head, she took the flower and examined it, bemused. "If I didn't know you better – and thank goodness, I do – I would say that you remind me of Zelos." Not that she didn't appreciate this; the more sentimental woman hidden somewhere within her shivered every time Regal pulled a Romeo stunt. It was almost amazing how much of a romantic he was at heart.

"There is no need to insult me," he teased her, dryly. "Zelos is not the only one who knows how to make a woman smile. I simply don't try it with every passing female creature."

"I certainly hope not." Raine threaded the stem of his gift through her hair, situating the flower behind her ear. This done, she turned to face him, though he kept his arms about her. Perhaps now it really was affection. After all, he had effectively ceased her cleaning efforts. "May I have my cloth back, please? I'm not finished." She held out her hand, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, you are. I believe you have recently acquired a new book that suits your fancy. Therefore, I suggest you sit somewhere, get comfortable, and delve into it." Regal matched her expression, a tiny spark of amusement now glimmering somewhere in his own blue eyes. Oh, yes, he knew of her passion for reading, and he had even brought her home a book he had known without a doubt would grab her interest. She knew that that was a shady act, too, designed to keep her immobile and subdued.

"I fully intend to. _After _I finish dusting. Regal, we both know how this is going to end. We've been through it many times before. Just give me the cloth, and we can get back to our lives." He had been right when he'd said she was exceedingly stubborn. But then, obviously, so could he. "I'm not tired; I'm not in any pain; and I don't feel sick right now. I'm _fine_."

He shook his head. "I don't want you having to work at all."

"Alright, so I don't have to. I get that. But you've never forced me into anything, Regal, and even now I do it because I _want _to." He seemed convinced that this was all a chore for her. How many times did she have to say it? She took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, lowering it a little toward her. "Think of it this way. Just as you enjoy cooking for me, and even as you want to keep me from work now, so also do I enjoy cleaning as a service for you, to save you time and effort. Does that ease your conscience?"

"Not particularly." He smiled at her, then blinked as she took the cloth right from his hand. "Raine—"

"Regal. If you really want to do something for me, would you bring me something to drink, please?" Maybe it would make him feel better about everything. Rolling her eyes toward the ceiling again and shaking her head, she groaned inwardly. As much as she loved him…

He needed to relax.

--

Haha… Regal amuses me as an antsy daddy-to-be. XD You cute li'l ex-con, you.

Raine: What's wrong with you? Nothing idiotic happened in that chapter.

Raine, this is chapter one. It would be kinda' confusing to start off with you dying. That has to wait until at _least _chapter two.

Raine: …Please tell me you're joking..

Well, yes, I am. What, did I scare you? Ahaha. Take your own advice, Raine-si-poo. And readers? Reviews, please!


	2. Tower Reborn

Huzzah – a review. Tehe, thanks. And now, I shall give you chapter deux.

Raine: Your writer's block was nice while it lasted.

Yeah, well, this chapter isn't all that long. X.x It does, however, introduce one aspect of the plot. So, at least it should be interesting to read.

Raine: Heh.

…What?

Raine: -Smirk- Nothing.

WHAT?

--

...Oh, boy. Raine flicked her eyes to Regal, dangerously close to her famous death glare, as her younger brother was now followed by Colette, Lloyd, Sheena, Presea, and Zelos, in that order. She had watched them start to file in, and now she was silently berating her husband.

"I did not breathe a word," he said in reply to her evil look, raising his hands a little in innocence. "To anyone."

"And I only told..." Raine pursed her lips, trailing off. Her icy look shifted from Regal to land squarely on Genis, who scratched the back of his head sheepishly, almost like Lloyd tended to. "Genis," she finished, flatly.

"Don't be too hard on him, Raine." It was Lloyd who had spoken. At last, he was getting used to using her first name, rather than her former title. "Colette and I went to visit Genis in Palmacosta, and I happened to see your letter. I, ah...kinda' read it while I was waiting for him to get out of the shower, and when I found the news, I had to tell everybody else. This is so exciting!" he exclaimed.

She sighed quietly, setting aside the book Regal had finally gotten her to start. "Indeed it is," she replied, rubbing her forehead.

"So how long until the newest addition of our group arrives?" chirped Sheena, her face glowing.

"...Three months, give or take a few days."

Zelos took his turn. "Do ya' know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"No. We don't want to know." Her voice turned wearier by the moment as they continued bombarding her with questions. She did enjoy seeing them all again after a long stretch apart; she only wished it wasn't at a time where they would all be beside themselves with excitement. Colette was positively exuberant, bouncing on her toes like the little girl she was at heart.

"Do you have any names picked out yet?" The blond looked between the two expectant parents, blinking her wide, blue eyes.

Regal shook his head, having sat beside his wife as though to protect her from the storm of inquiry. "A few vague possibilities, but nothing definite as of yet. Undoubtedly it will change over the coming months."

Sheena presently came forth and extended her hand toward the couple. In it was a sort of doll – a stuffed cloth version of Corinne, the man-made Summon Spirit that had served as the ninja's closest friend for quite some time. "I didn't want to make it a doll, you know, since it might be a boy. So I went for something sort of ambiguous."

"You made it yourself?" Regal blinked as Raine accepted it, looking the toy over interestedly. When Sheena nodded, the president dipped his head in appreciation. "It's very nice."

"Thank you," added Raine, half-smiling up at the other woman. Sheena just grinned and backed off a little.

Lloyd scratched his shoulder. "Me and dad are making a crib for the little guy – or, uh, girl. We just can't paint it, or carve in the name, 'til the baby's born."

"Well, no doubt you will all be the first ones to know when that time comes," Raine mused, dryly.

Colette raised her hand a little as though they were still in a classroom. "I'm making a blanket, too! It's green, so it can be either for a girl or a boy." She nodded decisively.

"Think the kid will be able to cast magic?" asked Zelos, sitting on the edge of a chair as the entire group was motioned by Regal to take seats. "It won't be a full half-elf, but it'll still inherit some elven blood."

Regal shrugged slightly. "Time will tell, I suppose," he replied. All further conversation was halted, however, as there came a low rumbling, almost like thunder. A glance toward the window showed sunlight pouring in, and there was a ripple of startled sounds through the room.

Raine stood, her husband following her purely out of curiosity, and crossed to the window. She peered out, frowning. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. So what…?

"Is there some sort of construction going on in Altamira?" asked Genis, examining the scenery from another window with a puzzled expression.

Regal shook his head. "Not that I am aware of… Perhaps I ought to check on the company." He moved toward the door. Raine trailed after him, as did the other curious men and women, and the exited the house as a group. It reminded her of their old journey, actually.

As they walked along the cobblestone paths and came to a place with a clear view of the ocean, though, Raine stopped them. Her features settled into a frown. "…Look," she murmured, pointing.

Lloyd and Colette came to stand beside her, squinting across toward the horizon. "What the…" The swordsman gave a start as the others joined them. "Th-that.'s…the Tower of Salvation!" he exclaimed.

For they were, indeed, seeing very clearly a portion of the long-destroyed tower erected in the distance. It looked like someone was in the process of rebuilding it. But…that might harm the Giant Tree. And who in the world would be _capable _of rebuilding that thing? Who would _want _to, besides Cruxis, who were no long in existence. Or, at least, so they had thought…

"We just flew over that place to get here, and it was all still completely in ruin," Zelos stated.

Presea nodded vaguely. "Yes… What mortal could possibly have raised so much rubble into such a shadow of its former whole, in so little time…?" Granted, it had been hours since they'd passed that sight on the Rheairds, when gathering to wish the almost-parents the best. But still. That was way too much of a difference to have happened in that little time.

"It's almost glowing…" Colette had her hands above her eyes to shield them from the sun. Raine lifted one to do the same and discovered that, yes, there was a luminescence about the structure. It seemed to be pulsating, though without any discernable pattern to the fading and strengthening of the light.

"I have a very bad feeling about this," stated Regal, voicing the concerns every single one of them shared.

--

Raine still won't tell me what she's smirking at… Why won't you tell me, woman?!

Raine: Because I quite enjoy making you squirm. Consider it retribution for all the garbage you have put me through, though it does not come close in comparison.

Oh, please. Without people like me, your life would be incredibly dull.

Raine: I would prefer that to nearly _losing _said life – countless times!

Yeah, yeah. You're all talk.

Raine: -Thwack-

OW. And a little bit of staff. X.x


	3. Likah

Haha; another review. Same person, but I love that person. n.n Thank you much.

Raine: -Yawn-

Hey! Wake up, woman.

Raine: It gets rather difficult to remain alert when you drag me out to do this at _night _every time.

Quit complaining. We're having fun bonding moments.

Raine: Hah! Is that what you call it? Imbecile.

Wow… Thanks.

--

Raine turned to face her husband, grimly, though she really addressed them all. "We need to see what's going on," she stated. "Whoever is responsible for this, they need to be stopped. If it continues, they could put the Tree in danger. Though I do wonder why Martel isn't doing anything about it…"

"It's our responsibility to protect the Giant Tree, no matter what." Lloyd frowned. "Who could be stupid enough to mess with it? Augh. I'm gonna go check it out." As he turned away, though, Colette caught his sleeve, and Zelos spoke up.

"Let's all go together," the redhead suggested. "We started this journey all together a few years back; we might as well see it through all the way together." He shrugged. Really, none of them wanted to be excluded from this. It wasn't just one person's problem; it involved every one of them.

Lloyd grinned. "Right. Okay, guys. Let's go, then." He jerked his head and started off. Colette and Genis trotted at his side with Zelos and Sheena falling into stride behind, the Summoner trying to keep her distance from the flirting former Chosen. Presea followed after, leaving the couple to come last.

As they did, Raine gave him a sidelong glance. "No objections?" she prodded, loud enough for his ears only. She had rather expected him to start hinting that she should stay behind. Regal, however, just shook his head.

"It would be no use to try and stop you now, and I won't waste time trying." His voice was wry. "Housework is a different story – it is not a subject so close to heart. But with how deeply we were all involved in reuniting the worlds and reviving the Tree, I hardly think it fair to leave you behind. Besides," he reasoned, "this is not blatantly dangerous." …That implied that if something serious was going on, he _would _send her back here…

Raine cocked an eyebrow at him. "Particularly if it proves to be dangerous, you'll need my healing arts. I wouldn't rely on Zelos' magic to keep you all in one piece. As it stands, however, we had best take it one step at a time and see what happens. We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

He bowed his head in a nod. "Indeed." Thus, they lapsed into silence, each of them pondering a different solution to their common question.

Outside Altamira – after Regal had informed George of their departure, of course – the Rheairds were summoned and mounted, and the troupe was off toward the Tower ruins. Words were bounced back and forth among them, but nothing too important until Presea claimed to see somebody standing atop one of the newly-erected walls.

"A woman," the girl stated, blinking down toward it. "I saw a woman there." She let go with one hand briefly to point, though no one else could see the person referred to. Lloyd scanned the area as they passed through the air high above it, squinting with the effort of spotting anyone.

"Martel?" he asked.

"No. She was shorter. Perhaps younger. And her hair was white; not green."

"I don't see anyone," Sheena remarked. "…Let's set down over there and take a look around on foot." She indicated a clear spot of grass nearby, and they landed almost in synchronization.

Regal offered his hand to Raine to help her dismount, mostly out of gentlemanly habit, and the two of them cast a glance around, along with the others. The rebuilt section of the Tower of Salvation was easily half the height of the Lezareno's main building. And all of that in only a few hours…? They shared an uneasy glance, and followed Lloyd and the others cautiously toward the walls. The Giant Tree was almost completely hidden; trapped within the structure.

"Hello?" called Lloyd as he slowed to a halt. "Anybody here? Hey! He-ey—wah!" He jumped backward, almost right into Genis, as a young woman landed softly on her feet in front of him. Presumably, she'd been atop the wall and had just jumped down.

Her hair was white as Presea had said, falling down to her waist. A few braids were threaded here and there in it, and wispy bangs hung over stony gray eyes. She blinked slowly at each of them in turn, and a flashing high on her chest drew their attention to a mounted Exsphere settled against her skin. Or perhaps it was a Cruxis Crystal, Raine thought to herself, grimacing a little. Either way, though, the gem was flashing in an odd pattern as she examined these strangers.

"Ah… Hi, there…" Lloyd scratched his cheek idly. "I'm Lloyd Irving. Are you the one trying to rebuild the Tower of—whoa!" He shielded his face as there came another, brighter flash of white light. When it faded, he found himself blinking at filmy gray wings, like Colette's, or Kratos'. "A-an angel?!"

"How can that be?" breathed Regal, his voice betraying the fact that he was unnerved. Again, he glanced at Raine, who had one arm absently wrapped around her middle as she stared at the angelic girl. "Mithos is dead; Cruxis was disbanded. Even Kratos has left this world behind…"

"Who…are you?" Colette clasped her hands before her, stepping forward carefully. The angel recoiled at first, but then seemed to catch sight of the blonde's own Cruxis Crystal. She stared at it for a moment, pointing with an unvoiced question. Colette looked down at the sphere, touching her fingertips to it. "My name is Colette. I used to be Sylvarant's Chosen of Regeneration, so I have a Cruxis Crystal – just like you. Um… Will you tell me your name, please?" Leave it to Colette to try and befriend this woman, mused Raine.

Slowly, the ever-silent stranger extending her own hand to touch the other's Crystal. Colette blinked. "I… I can hear her voice…" Her brow knitted, as though she were in concentration. "She says…her name is Likah. She says she has been…asleep for two thousand years."

"Asleep?" asked Genis. "For two thousand years? How can that be?"

Colette shook her head. "I don't know. She… She wants to know where…" She looked nervously at Lloyd. "Where Mithos is… A-and why the Tower is in ruin…"

--

Ooo… An angel brought out of stasis after two thousand years? But why was she _in _stasis, and how will she react to hearing of Mithos' death?!

Raine: Unkindly, no doubt. –Eyeroll- This can only go downhill.

You betcha', Rainesy. Keep a'watching, people… Or, loved person. xD


	4. The Mine

Huzzah! n.n RF is back, and joins once more the rank of Beloved Readers. Now I have two people. Share the love!

Raine: Just shut up already and get on with it.

Yeesh, Raine. I'm savoring the sweet moment, okay?

Raine: Congratulations. Now put up the chapter.

You're always so grumpy. And I didn't even write this one at night, either. Is somebody PMSing? Don't hit me!

--

There was an anxious ripple throughout the group as they all shared similar glances. If this Likah didn't know what had become of her master, chances were she wouldn't like finding out the truth. Colette gently picked up the angel's hands, holding them in her own, looking sympathetic. Though she was angelic, Likah still looked a few years younger than the former Chosen herself. "Where were you asleep, Likah?" she asked gently, putting off that nasty revelation for the moment.

Likah blinked at her as though to ask what that had to do with anything. But she freed one of her hands to touch Colette's Crystal again. " 'I slept in a chamber beneath the tower.' Really?"

Lloyd tilted his head. "I wonder…if that was the same chamber Yuan showed us, to get into the Tower of Salvation to save Colette… If so, it's no wonder she's not asleep anymore. That whole place caved in."

"It's a miracle she survived it," murmured Raine. "But the fact remains that she is an angel of Cruxis – she's even expressed loyalty to Mithos in asking about him, as well as rebuilding the Tower of Salvation. Lloyd, we must handle this with caution."

"Yeah…" The swordsman stepped forward. "Cruxis has been gone for three years, Likah. The worlds were reunited, and Mithos was defeated…"

It seemed to take her a moment to register what he'd said. After a stretch of stunned silence, the angel almost stumbled back, her eyes wide and expression intense. Her breathing started coming in frantic gasps. Much in contrast to the heartless angels they were accustomed to, this one appeared to be lapsing into hysterics. Raine withdrew a little into Regal, defensively, as Zelos' hand hovered around the hilt of his sheathed sword. Sheena looked ready to draw her cards if need be, as well.

They had long since figured out that this young – young? – lady was incapable of audible speech, as she had communicated through Colette both times. Even so, her horror was palpable.

"Likah, please!" implored Colette. "Calm down; it's okay…"

Likah shook her head violently, sending hair into her face. She lashed out, grabbing the Chosen's wrist and dragging her back toward her. The angel thrust her hand against Colette's Cruxis Crystal, making the latter flinch a little. Her glaring eyes bored into the other girl's gaze. "Sh-she wants to know who's responsible for Mithos' death," she squeaked., the intensity of the voice within her head obviously almost too much to bear.

"Should we tell her?" asked Regal, softly. Perhaps she had a right to know, but… Then the unstable anger would be pointed at them. Of course, Likah would be upset if they _didn't _tell her, too.

Lloyd grimaced. "She ought to know… Likah." Again, he stepped toward her and into clear view, holding her gaze. "We fought Mithos," he stated. "And we defeated him." He gestured with his arm to the others around him. Genis nodded solemnly. "He was distorting the world. He wanted to make everyone into Lifeless Beings, and he was willing to sacrifice anybody he had to in order to do that. He had to stopped."

"Please," added Colette, "stop this, Likah. You mustn't harm the Giant Tree again. It keeps our world alive… Everyone is counting on it."

Likah's eyes narrowed further, and Raine tensed with her. After presumably saying one last thing to Colette, while still glaring at Lloyd, she pushed off with a powerful kick and disappeared into the clouds. Colette fell over backward, watching the angel go with wide eyes.

"What did she say, Colette?" Genis crouched by her, offering to help her up. When they had scrambled to their feet again, Colette turned to face them all. Raine could tell immediately that the news wasn't exactly wonderful.

"She said….that she's marked us as enemies. That she'll get revenge, and that she'll revive Cruxis. That…that the world is doomed. 'The world shall sink into oblivion, and you pathetic beings with it.'" She bit her lip.

"…Sheena. Call Maxwell." Raine had turned to the ninja. Everyone blinked at her in unison.

"You just like to pop things outta nowhere, don't you? Uh… Okay, then." Sheena lifted her hand. "Ancient ruler of the elements! I summon thee, Maxwell!"

…Nothing happened.

Sheena gave a start. "What the? Why didn't he come?"

Raine pursed her lips. "As I thought. Likely, Likah has formed her own pact with him. He is no longer bound to you, but to her. That's probably how she's managed to get the Tower of Salvation this far. I doubt she has all of the other pacts, though that raises the question of how she awakened Maxwell. Supposedly, he can only be called when presented with the stones of all the other Summon Spirits. It's possible she had them from Mithos' previous pacts. They would not hold any kind of power once we formed ours, but they might still be symbolic enough to complete the ritual."

"Why would she have the stones from Mithos' pacts?" asked Lloyd, frowning.

"I don't know. Right now, though, we need to find out what her next move will be. She could head to the Toize Valley Mine in search of Exspheres, or she could decide to acquire the other Summon Spirits. If she does that, she will, indeed, be very capable of destroying the Tree and this world."

"How are we going to find her?" It was Genis' turn to ask questions.

"We should head to the mine, first," Regal suggested. "That is one thing we can do even without knowing her whereabouts. We should destroy the entire thing, and be certain that she cannot harvest any Exspheres, and therefore cannot revive the Desians, or raise an army of her own, at the very least."

Raine nodded. "That's a good idea. It would be best to take what action we can, rather than searching likely in vain for her. No doubt she'll make herself known again soon enough."

"Alright." Lloyd, too, gave a nod. "To the mine, then."

"Zelos and his Hunnies – minus Raine, who belongs to Mr. Pres' – off on another anti-Cruxis excursion!" exclaimed Zelos, grinning wickedly as he slung his arm across Lloyd's shoulders.

The latter just sighed. "…I had kinda' hoped we were _done _with those. Come on, guys." He shoved Zelos' arm off, and led the way toward the Rheairds.

--

THERE. Happy now?

Raine: …Is that a serious question?

Oh, right... Heh… Ahem. So. Off to the Mine to destroy the Exspheres before Likah can get her little paws on 'em. Hopefully, she doesn't get there first, mm?

Raine: -Face in hands- This is so completely idiotic. It's beyond words.

Then you shouldn't be saying any.

Raine: You really don't value your life at all, do you?

Psh. You love me. You'd never kill me. SMACK me, yes. But you'd never kill me. XD


	5. Collapse

-Huge yawn- Oi. I should so be asleep right now. I should have been asleep an hour ago, but I felt like writing instead.

Raine: I can't _wait _to see what your exhaustion has produced for us. –Sarcasm-

Good. xD I'm glad to hear it. It's a doozy.

Raine: -Groan-

--

"Southward, Lloyd," Raine reminded the swordsman as he looked about. He appeared to be trying to remember just where the mine was relative to the Tree, which was marked as the center of the world.

"I-I knew that." Same old Lloyd, mused Regal. "I was just going over our plan… Yeah. That's it."

"No doubt." The noble hid his smile of amusement as he climbed aboard the Rheaird next to Raine's. "Alright?" He couldn't stop himself from asking the question, though he knew at once that it had been a mistake from the look she gave him. It was hard _not _to be protective of her, but he would have to be more careful and tactful about it, he supposed.

In a flat voice that offered no room for arguing, she replied, "I'm fine," and situated herself on the machine. He shook his head, focusing instead upon launching his craft after the others had done the same. They were heading into a dangerous situation, he knew, and he would do his best to keep her out of the middle of it. Other than that, though, she was her own woman, and he could only hope her own keen rationality would prevent her from doing anything reckless. She was smarter than such, and he had to keep it in mind, rather than babying her. She wouldn't take kindly to that.

Mentally, he calculated an educated guess on the length of the trip between the Tower ruins and the mine his company owned. It was on the southernmost continent, so…perhaps a couple hours on the Rheairds. Would that be quick enough to beat Likah, if she'd headed there? His brow creased. Of course, there was no way to go any faster, but still. If they couldn't cut her off at the pass, chances were that she'd always be a step ahead of them, acting too quickly for them to catch up, until she finally achieved a checkmate.

"…Do you think Likah is capable, even alone, of carrying out her threats?"

He blinked, startled from his dark thoughts by this soft voice near him. Regal glanced to the side, noting a similarly concerned expression on Raine's features. She had probably realized the same things he had been pondering. "I'm not sure," he answered, truthfully. It was hard to tell.

"She's only one angel, but even so, she was clearly able to defeat Maxwell alone. Otherwise, she could never have obtained his pact. That, I think, is what makes me the most nervous: that she, on her own, is capable of besting one of the most powerful beings in this world."

By this time, Genis had maneuvered to ride near the couple. "That means we can't afford to let her get any further," the boy stated. "If she becomes another Mithos, she _could _destroy Symphonia."

"Yes… And everything we worked so hard to accomplish three years ago," she sighed.

"There's no point in getting all gloomy when the fight's only just barely started." Zelos' remark was almost off-handed; his typical carefree tone carried the words over the gentle humming of the Rheairds' engines. "Worry about losing _after_ we get our butts kicked by Mithos' fangirl."

"It hurts me to say it," Sheena piped in, "but I agree. Don't start counting our losses 'til we know a little more."

"That does remind me. Sheena, keep an eye on the Pact Stones. They might be able to give off some hint if Likah forms any more ties with the Summon Spirits."

The summoner nodded. "Sure thing."

When they caught sight of the Toize Valley Mine at last, the group set down outside the aged entrance and stored the aircrafts in the Wing Pack. Lloyd settled the thing under his sword belts, and they headed on in at none-too-leisurely a pace. They were, however, careful. The mine had been in disrepair before, what with all the idiots trying to force their way through to the inner areas heedlessly, but now, after three years of neglect that Regal was now kicking himself for, it was unstable, and thus unpredictable. Everyone kept casting wary glances all around as they picked their way as quickly as they could through half-caved-in and crumbling passageways.

"…The only Exspheres left in this mine would be through there." Regal nodded to the door that had used to be strong and secure, sealing off the inner mine area. Now, it was dented such that there was an opening easily big enough for someone to slip through, and in danger of collapsing completely – not, he suspected, because of any natural decay. It hadn't been _that _long, and solid magitechnology metal did not dent itself.

"Doesn't look like we're the first ones here," Lloyd pointed out, grimly.

Raine nodded. "That doesn't necessarily mark it as Likah, though. I imagine there have been any number of people trying to get at this place." Any hope of her being correct, however, was effectively banished within the next few minutes.

Led by the healer herself, and her younger brother, both half-elves cupping glimmering spheres of mana in their palms for light, the eight of them made their way very carefully into the degraded caverns. When the siblings stopped suddenly, Regal nearly ran into his wife before he realized he, too, needed to quit walking. All eyes went to the only other figure in view, half-shadowed and eerie-looking in the miniscule lighting. That icy gaze was unmistakable, though. Likah was staring right back at them, unblinking and perfectly still. She held in her arms a score of unearthed Exspheres.

"Likah, put them down," suggested Lloyd, now moving forward to be in front of Raine and Genis. He was ready to draw his sword, but he was obviously hoping to not have to. "Just listen to—hey… What are you doing?"

The angel cradled the gems carefully in the folds of her shirt so she could lift one hand toward the stone roof of the chamber. Even as her palm began to glow white, she still watched them. Not once did she blink.

Regal felt Raine give a start in front of him. "She's going to blast her way out!" she exclaimed. "If she does that, this entire mine will very likely collapse in on itself!"

"Likah, stop!" cried Colette.

The next few minutes were a total blur. Several people cried out in alarm as the Cruxis angel released the mana she'd gathered in a concentrated attack at the roof. There was a pool of daylight for no more than a few seconds, just long enough for Likah to bolt upward and out of the rumbling caves, before everything started to shake.

The roar became deafening; huge pieces of rock started falling. The very stone beneath them started crackling. Before they knew it, an enormous crack had swallowed them. The light from Raine and Genis' spells disappeared, and the group fell into blackness.

The only thing he heard above the loud roar was his own voice, choked with dust: "_Raine_!"

--

Raine: …You have _got _to be kidding.

Nope. No jest, my pet. XD

Raine: First of all, don't you ever use that word in my presence again. Secondly… Oh, I'm not even going to bother. X.x

Really? …You're not gonna start, I d'know…yelling at me or anything?

Raine: There's no point.

…Aww… Now I feel incomplete…


	6. On Foot

-Poke- No reviews? Now I really am incomplete. –Sob-

Raine: Justice served.

Ha, ha. Oh, by the way, people watching this – I have changed around the progress of Raine's pregnancy. She is now officially six months pregnant. I've been getting things straight in my mind. So, yes. Six months; not three.

Raine: That's going to make journeying rather difficult…

Yeah. But it's also going to make this fiction possible. xD

"Oww…"

"Aw, man…"

"Are we…alive…?"

Raine opened her eyes slowly, though all they met was blackness. At once, she knew how fortunate she had been. Beneath her, rather than solid rock, she felt something like sand. It had cushioned her fall. And on top of that, the falling debris seemed to have missed brutally hitting her.

One hand pressed to her stomach, she sat up carefully. She still had a dull ache, but she dismissed any thought of serious injury. The sand, or whatever it was, had surely spared both herself and the baby any such fate. So, she released a subconsciously held breath in a sigh of relief.

"Should we take role, Professor?" croaked a voice unmistakably Zelos' from nowhere nearby.

"I have a better idea." Sheena. "I call upon the light of the heavens. I summon thee – come, Luna!" Immediately, the area was flooded with light, showing all the dirty, beaten up forms of their rugged crew. Everyone squinted in the new light as they all took their own mental headcount.

She cast her own gaze around to find both Genis and Regal. The former was trying to rub the dust and silt – for she now realized that it was such, rather than sand – from his face, and only succeeding in spreading the filth. He relaxed a little when she nodded in reassurance at him, and she sought her husband instead as she managed to get to her feet.

Regal was in the process of sitting up, one hand on his temple. He suddenly froze, twisting around so quickly Raine herself flinched, rather suspecting that something had cracked. "Relax. I'm fine, and so is the baby," she told him softly when he had scrambled to his feet and come to her.

He gripped her arms, looking over her like a tiger checking her cubs. "Are you certain?" he demanded.

"It doesn't appear that we fell all that far, and we managed to land on something soft. I don't think there's anything to worry about." Granted, a woman six months pregnant really shouldn't be in a collapsing mine, but... She was no ordinary woman, after all. If they did get out of here, though, she knew she would have to fight for her right to continue on this journey once again. This would only prove his point; not hers. Shaking his head, he took her into his arms for a moment – gently.

Lloyd stood, brushing himself off, and helped a wincing Colette to her feet as well. "Is everybody okay?" he asked, sweeping his eyes around. "Presea?"

"I'm alright," the girl replied, though she held one shoulder and looked like she was in discomfort.

He blew out a puff of breath in his own relief. "Whew. We sure got off lucky there. Okay, Raine?"

Raine had to bite back a sigh. They would _all _be doing it, she realized. Perhaps she should be glad they were that concerned for her, but she got enough of it from Regal. "Yes, Lloyd."

"Good. Well… At least we know Sheena's stil got Luna's and Aska's pact." He glanced upward and around the stone prison.

"But Likah got away with the Exspheres," Genis pointed out, a little reproachfully. "What are we supposed to do about that?"

"We need to get outta here before we do anything." Zelos was trying to run his fingers through his hair, brushing out pebbles and the like. "Maybe if we've still got Luna, we've still got Gnome. If so, he must be able to cut us a way out of this cave."

"…Uh-oh…"

Everyone turned in unison to Lloyd, from whom the ominous uttering had issued. He was looking down at his swords – or rather, the belts they were attached to. "We've got another problem, guys. The Wing Pack is gone. It must have fallen off in the cave-in…"

That meant…they were handicapped even further. Without the ability to fly, they couldn't possibly hope to stop Likah in time. Raine's brow creased in anxiety.

"Maybe we can go to the Renegades and get some more Rheairds?" suggested Colette.

"We don't have much choice," the half-elf replied, grimly. "Though I can just see Yuan's face when we try it." She paused. "That would also be a good time to ask for the Renegades' help in defeating Likah. We should gather all the allies we possibly can. And surely, after going through all that work to revive the Giant Tree and put an end to Cruxis, Yuan would be willing to take up the fight again."

Lloyd gave a decisive nod. "Alright. Once we get out of here, we'll have to go on foot to see the Renegades and get their help."

"The Triet base is closer, and more accessible from the ground," stated Regal. "We should head there as quickly as possible." He glanced briefly at Raine, who caught the tiniest frown harbored on his expression. She pursed her lips in silent reply, letting him know quite plainly that she would _not _be sent home.

"Yeah. Okay, Sheena. Please call Gnome."

"You got it." The ninja lifted her hand. "Servant of Mother Earth!" she called clearly. The giant mole-like Summon Spirit appeared in a flash.

"Whoa! You all look terrible!" Oh, yes. This Spirit had a way with words. Thankfully, most of them had learned to ignore it. "Sure ya' don't want Undine to come, y'know, hose you down? Hehe."

"Maybe later. Can you dig us a way out of here?" Sheena looked up at him.

"Hmm… Okay, then. Follow me!"

Trailing carefully after Gnome as he plowed a stable path through the fallen earth, the group found themselves in fresh air after about a half-hour. They hadn't been trapped for long, but they still had to walk from here to the Triet Desert. That was quite a setback in itself.

Once Gnome had been thanked and dismissed, Regal turned to her. Before he said anything, however, she stated a definite, "No."

He blinked, but soon regained himself. "Raine. It's not practical for you to come along. What happened in the mine could easily have hurt you, the child, or both of you, and the rest of this trip will only get more dangerous."

"You need me," Raine retorted. "I'm not stupid, Regal. I do not intend to get in the middle of any fight. To protect the child I carry, I plan to stay as far out on the sidelines as possible. But I will _not _be left behind. Your healing, and Zelos' healing, as well, is minor, at best. If you're to stay in one piece, I have to be there." It was not conceit, but concern. She was the healer of the troupe, after all, and she didn't want to lose him any more than he wanted to lose her. Besides, what was she to do, all alone in Altamira, all the while worrying about the rest of them? That, too, was impractical.

She gave him a hard look. "Tell me to go back and I'll only follow of my own free will. Do not forget, Regal Bryant, that this was and is my cause as well. I'm going, period."

"Just let her come along, Regal." It was Sheena's suggestion. "We all know how much of a mule she is. Besides, she's right: she _is _a part of this journey, and we will need her healing arts."

Regal glanced at the summoner briefly before returning his eyes to Raine. For a long moment, he just watched her. Then, resignedly, he spoke. "Very well. However, I will be seeing to it that you do not over-exert yourself. And that you do, indeed, stay as far back as physically possible."

Raine nodded. "Fair enough. …Come. We've wasted enough time here. We need to get going."

* * *

You tell 'em, Raine!

Raine: …I'm only going to slow them down, you know…

Shut up, Raine. You want to go. You said so.

Raine: No, _you _said so when writing this.

QUIET. You're going, Missy, and I don't wanna hear another word about it.

Raine: You're not hearing any of this, girl. You're reading it.

Gah! STOP!


	7. Thinking

Yay, a new chapter, which brings in the _second _aspect of my plot.

Raine: How wonderful.

You really ought to be nice to me. I could do horrible, horrible things to you, you know.

Raine: And this would differ from the norm...how?

...'Kay, you've got a point there. But still. Oh, just read the stupid chapter.

--

They were nearing the desert now. It had taken three days, but they were finally getting close to the Triet Renegade base – and none too soon. He watched her sit carefully on a boulder, her eyes closed and head tilted back a little. She had to be exhausted…

Camp was quickly set up as the sun slipped further down below the horizon, casting long shadows and a reddish haze over everything. Genis, together with Lloyd, began preparing a meal. "Just like the old days," the latter remarked in an attempt to lighten the mood that was sinking more by the hour.

"Raine…" Regal rested one of his feet on the edge of her perch, leaning over to place his face near hers. Her eyes opened a little, weariness dulling them. He tucked hair behind her ear and put one hand to her cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked softly. Hadn't he said this was a bad idea?

"I'm fine," she mumbled, flashing him a tired smile. "I will be glad when we return to flying, but I'm fine." The violet eyes fluttered closed again, her head leaning limply into his hand. Something did not seem right. He didn't know what, but there was something off - whether it be in her manner, or her physical condition. He scanned her briefly. Perhaps he was simply being paranoid. That wasn't exactly a new concept, after all.

Smiling grimly, he sat by her on the stone, letting her lean on him completely. He could tell she hesitated, as though not wanting to appear weak in present company. They were with six other people. But, ultimately, her fatigue seemed to win out and she actually ended up drifting off into a light sleep. Should she be this tired? he wondered, putting an arm around her shoulders. Regal warned a smug Zelos off with but a glare. He needed no remarks from _that _particular man.

He sat there for a little while, not wanting to move for fear of waking her prematurely. She returned to consciousness on her own, though, as Lloyd and Genis were finishing up dinner preparations. An odd look passed over her face, before Raine stood. As he followed suit, she touched his arm lightly and lowered her voice. "I'm going to take a short walk. No - I'll be fine. Stay here. I won't be gone long." She didn't really give him a chance to argue before she left, and he frowned as she disappeared into the darkness.

At that moment, Lloyd came over bearing two bowls of meat stew. He blinked. "Where's she going?" he asked, puzzled at Raine's departure. He peered around Regal toward where his former professor had vanished. The noble followed his gaze, his brow still creased.

Rather than voicing his concerns, however, he decided to keep things between him and his wife and salvage her privacy. "She just needed to take a few moments alone." He accepted the offered stew from the younger man with a nod of thanks, and came to join the circle of others around the fire. It got brisk at night. At the few other inquiries as to the missing member, he gave answers just as vague as before: "She's taking a short walk."

There was a mutual silence in the gathering for several moments, each person's thoughts held to themselves as they pondered over different things. At length, Sheena broke the tension. "You know... This really does feel familiar. We used to always make camp in the middle of nowhere. It was kind of fun. Y'know, when you set aside the whole Cruxis thing."

Lloyd leaned back on his forearms, half-grinning nostalgically. "Yeah. I've always liked camping. Sleeping under the stars. Don't get me wrong, I like a nice bed, but... There's just something really cool about going to sleep under the stars."

"Remember how we used to get into those competitions for finding constellations?" Genis laid back in the dirt, hands linked under his head. "Zelos always made up the stupidest ones." He rolled his eyes.

The redhead pulled a face. "There was nothing wrong with my constellations!" he exclaimed.

Sheena snorted. "Except that none of us could ever see them, no matter how long we looked." She grinned. "We used to stump Lloyd all the time. You never did see my Undine, did you? Hmm... I wonder if I could find her again... It was about this time of year, I think." She squinted, combing through the stars to find the image.

Lloyd shook his head. "I think you were makin' that up. She isn't th--"

"There." The summoner pointed, not without a smirk on her face. All eyes followed her finger, and it only took a moment after her tracing the outline for Presea to declare that she could easily make out the Spirit of Water. Genis found it shortly thereafter, and even Zelos caught it. It took Regal a moment, but he nodded slightly. Luckily for Lloyd, Colette didn't seem to be able to make it out, either. Together the two of them scoured the night sky, determined to find it. The president shook his head, the slightest traces of a smile tugging at his lips as he went back to watching for Raine.

He ate slowly, keeping half of his attention in the direction he had last seen her go. If she didn't come back soon... He relaxed a little when, at long last, she reappeared. His head tilted a little at her expression, though. She seemed...mildly distressed. With one hand she gripped the opposite forearm, her mouth a thin line and eyes holding a hidden anxiety. It appeared to him that she tried to make herself appear a bit more passive before she joined them. Was that, too, just his imagination, or was something truly bothering her?

He gave her a questioning look as he helped her sit down and offered her the stew. Again, she hesitated a little. "You need to eat," he stated. Even moreso than any of the rest of them, actually. So she took the bowl in both hands and started eating sluggishly. Distractedly. It couldn't be _just _his paranoia. He fancied himself an intelligent, level-headed, observant man, and as such just couldn't shake off this odd feeling.

"Raine."

She blinked, looking up from the ground when he leaned toward her and spoke into her ear. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

It was her turn to shake her head. "Don't worry; it's nothing," she stated. "I'm just thinking."

"You always used to say that: 'It's nothing.' And every time, it proved to be something. What, then, are you thinking about?"

She cocked an eyebrow at him, looking a little more like her normal self. "What else? Our present situation with Likah. There are many variables; a lot of unpredictability. And since I don't think Lloyd will be mulling over this..." Here she glanced at the swordsman, who was still deep in frustrated conversation with both Colette and Sheena. "I figured I had better."

"...Is that all?" he pressed.

Raine haved a sigh. "Yes, Regal. That's all. You really should stop worrying so much about me. You're only going to agitate yourself needlessly. I am fine; the child is fine."

He blinked. "It wasn't the child I was asking about. I'm concerned for you, not just our firstborn."

There was another strange pause. "...Thank you. But you needn't worry about either of us." She looked back at her food with an unreadable expression. "Trust me." Something about the way she said that bothered him. He shook his head, though, and lapsed into silence to simply eat with her. Pushing any further would only irritate her. Maybe she was, as she said, just distracted with Likah. It wouldn't be surprising. They did have quite the problem on their hands, after all...

--

And Raine's back into strategic-mode. ...Or IS she? -Shifty look-

Raine: Oh, Cruxis... What are you up to now?

For the last time, Raine, I'm not going to tell you before I write it out. That defeats the purpose. Completely. Oi.

Raine: ...It's called a rhetorical question, dear. Read the definition.

... ... Oh.


	8. Anxiety All Around

Whee, new chapter. Lots of problems. Poor Lloyd and Co. But then… Nobody but you knows about one of them, yet, Raine. xD

Raine: I don't know about it either. You haven't told me.

That was so you didn't go blabbing about it. But you know in the fiction – duh.

Raine: Of course I do. Because I'm your favorite little pet, and everything so unfortunately revolves around _me_.

And Regal.

Raine: …I hate you.

I know. n.n

--

She needed to stop worrying. Paranoia was a waste of time. They had a problem, and she needed to be able to focus on _that_, rather than ungrounded anxiety. There was no proof, and until there was, she couldn't afford to think about it. That would only agitate her further. No – it had to business as usual. Everything would be fine.

…It would be _fine_.

Raine glanced over at Genis, only now realizing that he had spoken to her. "I'm sorry… What?" His words had gone completely unheard among her own thoughts.

Her little brother gave her an odd look. "A little out of it, aren't we?" He grinned at her, and she returned it with the tiniest of smiles. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she murmured. "Just…still a little tired, that's all." She returned her gaze to the pack she was fastening closed. They had stopped to get supplies on the way here – it was potentially going to be a long journey, just like before, and they needed to be stocked and prepared. Now, as they got ready to leave that morning on the last leg of the trip to the Renegade base, everyone was packing up and breaking camp.

Genis knelt down next to her, taking over her work for her. She tilted her head and considered rebuking him, but ultimately decided to let him have his satisfaction. There was silence between them for a moment, before he finally broke it. "…Hey, Raine…"

She flicked her eyes toward him, learning that his own violet gaze was watching her. "Yes?" the healer prodded.

"Last time we did this…did you ever think that, three and a half years later, we'd be doing it again?" He sat back on his heels, thoughtfully, draping his arms across his knees.

Raine lifted her face to stare at the cloudless sky. Even so early, the sun was beating down relentlessly. It was already hot. "…No," she replied after a long pause. "But then, when we met Regal in the Meltokio sewers, I never expected to marry- and have a child with him, either." The half-smile that had formed again faltered a little, and try as she might, apparently she couldn't conceal it as Genis gave her a funny look.

"Raine? You okay?"

"I'm fine… Why wouldn't I be?" She created an expression that was the epitome of blank passiveness. "Other than the fact that Cruxis is wreaking their havoc on the world once again, of course."

He shook his head. "I d'know. You just looked kind of…weird when you mentioned Regal." A pause. Then, suspiciously, "Is there something going on between you and Regal? Did something happen? Are you fighting?"

Raine held up one hand to silence his string of questions. "No, Genis. Everything is fine between us. ...That over-active imagination of yours will get you into trouble. No. This is simply a dire situation we're all in, and it worries me."

"…That's really all?"

"That's all. Trust me." She raised an eyebrow at him when he kept eyeing her, tapping his chin in mock-thought. "Go find Lloyd," she suggested, "and see if anything else needs to be done. Go on." The woman waved him away, and set about standing.

Around this time, Regal himself approached. He assisted her in her struggles, sending a glance after his young brother-in-law. "He's shaping up to be quite the young man," he remarked.

"Yes…" Raine looked at the ground for a second, but raised her eyes with a tiny, somewhat forced smile before he had looked back at her. "We should probably be going…"

He nodded. Picking up the pack she and Genis had been fastening, he started walking. She fell into step beside him, and even laced her fingers through his. Regal blinked at their joined hands briefly, before softening into a slight smile of his own. He closed his hand gently around hers, and they walked in an affectionate silence after the rest of their group. She just…wanted his reassurance. He didn't know any of her thoughts, or anything about her worries – no one did, and she intended to keep it that way. But at least she could still draw comfort from him, even if he didn't see it for all it was.

It was hard to trek on foot across this desert. Putting aside the distance, the heat was torture enough to slow their progress considerably. Every face was flushed, every forehead damp with sweat under the cloths they had draped over their heads to protect themselves, however vaguely, from the relentless sun. And certainly every heart rejoiced at the sight of the great blue, dome-like building that was the Renegade base. Raine, who felt very close to fainting, took a deep breath in relief. They had arrived… Finally.

As they approached the front entrance, Lloyd craned his neck and shielded his eyes from the sun to look at the structure in its entirety. Two people came out through the automatic doors, startling the young man. They looked at the group, then at each other. "…You… Lloyd Irving."

"Ah – yeah. We need to talk to Yuan immediately. Symphonia's in danger, and we need his help."

Again, the two Renegades shared a glance. "Very well." As they were the reunification group, they held a bit more importance now, Raine supposed. "Follow us."

It was the troupe's turn to look around at each other, before they all filed after their escorts. They were told to wait in a large room, while the two half-elves went to fetch their leader. Once in this room, Raine sat on the edge of a console by the wall. Regal stood by her, offering support, while the rest scattered about. Lloyd took to pacing while Colette watched; Sheena sat in a corner; Zelos leaned against another wall with his arms folded and eyes on the floor; Presea mimicked Sheena, though in a different corner. All of them were enjoying the relief from the heat outside.

After what seemed like hours to the weary mother-to-be, the doors parted again, and in stepped the visage of a man none of them had seen in three years, and who had probably hoped never to see them again, himself. Blue hair held in a low tail, shorter pieces escaping to frame one side of his face; trademarked cape; red, white, and gold armor and clothing. There was no mistaking this particular angel.

"Yuan," stated Lloyd. He ceased his tireless pacing, and the rest of them joined him in a vague semi-circle around Yuan.

"Lloyd… And company," he replied dryly, scanning the gathering. His gaze stopped on Raine, and his brow lifted slowly toward his hairline. She pursed her lips, giving him one of her looks and wrapping one arm around her middle in silent response to his silent remark. She didn't need his sarcasm right now, particularly about this.

"Cruxis is back." This was Zelos, wasting no time.

Yuan's gaze snapped to the former Chosen. "What are you talking about?"

"There's a Cruxis angel on the loose out there, who's got the ability to summon," stated Sheena. "She said she had been sleeping under the Tower of Salvation for two thousand years or something. Well, she didn't really say it, I guess. She didn't talk at all. But she communicated to Co—" She broke off, and Raine understood why when she caught sight of the man's expression, which was changing drastically.

"Did she say her name?" he asked, his voice gravelly.

Colette linked her hands before her. "She said her name was Likah…"

Yuan was tense, his jaw clenched so tightly it was visible. "Likah," he echoed through gritted teeth. "A name…I know all too well."

--

So much going on! What's Raine's problem? Why's she acting funky? And why did Yuan get all freakish when they said Likah's name?! Mysteries abound!

Raine: Along with stupidity.

…Thanks, Raine. I was trying to be dramatic.

Raine: So that's what you call it.

-Sticks tongue out- Nyah. Whatever. Read and review, peeps!


	9. Likah's Past

Yar. I be bach. …Bach? Like, the composer? Hmm…

Raine: Just kill me now… I beg you..

Awh, Raine. Wait. You said you DIDN'T want me killing you this time around.

Raine: Get on with it, you idiot.

Oh. Right. Anyway. Here's a new chapter, at long last. Bit of a history lesson going on here… Enjoy!

--

There was a moment of silence in the room, everyone unnerved by the distress this particular name brought to one of the least fearing men in all of Symphonia. Finally, Lloyd ventured to speak. "What's her problem? I mean, why is she so…"

"Excitable," Raine supplied for him.

"Yeah. When we went to Welgaia, all we saw were heartless doll-people. Almost everyone seemed to lack any kind of real emotion. But when we told Likah what happened to Mithos, she totally flipped out on us."

Yuan glanced toward the wall, narrowing his eyes. "Likah is no run of the mill Cruxis minion. Why else would we have induced that coma and placed her far beneath the tower?"

"So…you guys put her to sleep?" asked Sheena. She sounded about as confused as most of them felt. "For two thousand years?"

"That's a pretty long nap, and she's still as cranky as ever." This was Zelos' two cents – not that it had been worth that much.

"It's good to see you're still as much an idiot as ever, as well." Yuan turned from the redhead and from the group in general. Now it was his turn to pace. "Likah was young – far younger than any of the others – when she received her Cruxis Crystal. In addition, she has more elven blood than human, and the imbalance, along with her underdeveloped body, caused something of a freak accident. The reaction she had to the angelic transformation was negative, to say the least."

He slowed to a gradual halt and turned to face them again. "The girl lost her ability to speak, much the same way as Colette, the Chosen of Mana, did when she went through the World Regeneration. But rather than suppressing her emotions and dulling her responses – in effect, turning her into a doll – it heightened them. Anger, sadness, joy. All of these are intensified, and easily triggered. She is unstable. Unfortunately, her magical abilities and even physical strength are beyond the scope of the average Welgaia angel you recall. She was dangerous; a problem. So we sealed her beneath the tower, where she remained…until it was destroyed, and the Giant Tree once more began to grow." Yuan put a hand to his forehead. "Now, she has returned. And if she knows about Mithos – to whom she was almost ludicrously loyal – and his fate, she will undoubtedly wreak her vengeance all across Symphonia. Beginning with the eight of you, and likely the Renegades. I can only imagine her reaction to _us_."

"Her wrath isn't restricted to us, though." Raine's expression was solemn as she made this statement. "She fully intends to revive Cruxis, in whatever sense, and destroy the entire world. This is not an exclusive battle. This is a world-wide crisis."

Yuan seemed to stare past her. "Such a pitiful child… She was originally to be a vessel for Martel. She had a similar mana signature and she was attached to no family. She was an outcast, and nature would have taken her before she had even seen sixteen years of her own. When Mithos found her, he thought he had found the perfect solution to his problems. He would be able to revive Martel, and all would be well in his own, twisted little reality. However, his dream was anything but realized."

He shook his head, closing his eyes almost in a sort of pity. "She was young and inexperienced. When someone showed interest in her, particularly an almighty _angel_, Likah offered no resistance. And so, against Kratos' better judgment, though he of course did not press hard in his objections, and my own, Mithos brought her to Derris-Kharlan. He wasted no time in giving her a Cruxis Crystal and beginning the angel transformation, but his hopes were soon dashed as she proved incompatible with Martel's soul."

"The attempted transfer didn't kill her on the spot?" asked Sheena, surprised. "If she failed, wouldn't that mean…"

"It is true that some potential vessels could not withstand the procedure." Yuan looked at them again, gravely. "But you saw many, many corpses in the Tower of Salvation, and I can assure you, they did not all die in that way."

"Some of them…died from that disease Colette had, you mean?" Genis grimaced slightly.

"Some did, yes. That is, however, not what I was referring to."

There was a ripple of confusion through most of the group. The expecting couple were the only ones who dropped their gazes in understanding. "Mithos killed them himself, then," Raine murmured. Everyone turned to look at her in horrified unison.

Regal elaborated. "Angry at their failure, he blamed the victims he used for Martel's vessel and took their lives out of his misplaced rage."

"Correct," stated Yuan in a gravelly voice.

"Th-that's horrible," breathed Colette.

"So, wait a minute." Zelos folded his arms across his chest, fixing the angel with a studious frown. "That still doesn't answer why she's still around. Shouldn't Mithos have gone all psycho and killed her when it didn't work, just like everyone else?"

Yuan smiled grimly. "He was furious, to be sure. But when he turned on her with mana gathering at his fingertips, he was stayed by something in her face. She looked on him with adoration and helpless dependence. She was a half-elven child with no parents, no family; no one to care for her. She was unwanted, just as he had been. He couldn't bring himself to kill her."

"So he initiates her completely into Cruxis, where she continues to worship him in blind loyalty," Raine added, flatly. "She learns what Cruxis is and does everything in her power to help them reach their goals. …How sick…"

Lloyd clenched his fists. "That's not right at all," he declared. "She's just a little girl!"

"She _was _just a little girl," corrected Yuan. "Now, she is a powerful entity bent on achieving world destruction – which, I might add, she is entirely capable of doing."

Genis shook his head violently. "Wait a minute! I'm still confused. If Mithos pitied her so much, why did you guys end up sealing her away for two millennia? That doesn't seem any better than killing her, to me…"

"Eventually, Likah became quite a handful. It got to where she was too much for even Mithos to want to put up with any longer. Being as…'excitable' as she was, she would often get over-zealous. She would cause problems. Small things would trigger her temper, and she would explode in a violent show of angelic strength. Needless to say, this was a threat to the entire organization.

"For a while, he tolerated her. She obeyed his every whim and treated him like he was the god he pretended to be. But after a while, he finally took our advice to heart and decided she must be dealt with. So the three of us, with Origin and Maxwell's help, placed her in a sort of suspended animation and sealed her beneath the Tower."

"Kid's got a point, though," Zelos remarked. "That's not a whole lot different than just taking her life."

"Perhaps Mithos intended to revive her somewhere along the way; I don't know. At the time, it was the only way to go about it."

"And now the seal is broken and she has returned in all her mindless fury. She already has Maxwell's pact, at the very least, as well as quite a few unearthed Exspheres from the Toize Valley Mine. We have fallen significantly behind her. Yuan, we will need Rheairds to have any chance at all of catching her again." Raine had him fixed with a somber stare.

He nodded slightly. "Obviously. You know your way to the hangar by now, I'm sure. In the mean time, I'll get my people on the alert. We'll do all we can to aid you. Inform us at once of anything further you need." Yuan started to hand a metal box the size of a fist to Lloyd, but he paused, hesitated, and then decisively handed it to the professor instead. Probably a wise decision, Lloyd's reproachful expression aside. "This is a newly crafted communication device. Much more convenient for use in the field than what we've previously used."

She inclined her head and slipped it carefully into the pouch at her hip. "Very well. We should get going… We can't afford to let Likah gain any more ground."

--

I love Yuan. He makes me happy when I write him into fictions.

Raine: So bother him.

I love you more, sadly. So, readers, you like? At least they're back on wings, now. I'm sure Miss Mommy is very happy about that.

Raine: Overjoyed. –Sarcasm-

Watch it, or I'll dump you off the Rheaird again. Read and review!


	10. Secrets

FINALLY. Good gravy, it's been eons since I updated anything. But! No worries! I'm (sort of) back on track!

Raine: -Groan- Every time… _Every _time I have some glimmer of hope that you will give up and _leave_, you come back. You're like a cockroach! You don't die!

-Snort- Thanks a bunch, Raine. After all, I've always wanted to be compared to a creepy bug-thing. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Really.

Raine: -Glower- Just do what you have to do and get it over with. –Resigned sigh-

That's my girl. Don't worry, this chapter isn't exactly action-packed. I am rather proud of it, though, so… Enjoy!

--

Was it just his imagination – a question he found himself asking quite often lately – or was she getting…edgy? Granted, Raine had never been extraordinarily warm and sensitive, but he had been with her long enough to notice when her tone was clipped even for her. He knew that his periodic queries as to her health would try her nerves, but… No, that hadn't been exasperation. That had bordered on snapping. And what was worse, when he had tried to ask her about it, he had gotten only more of the same, short tone. She wouldn't explain anything. It was as though she was actively avoiding conversation with him now. She wouldn't even let him touch her. He was getting rather worried.

Presently, their group was getting situated in Luin. The sun was setting, and they had needed a place to settle for the night. Likah had, thus far, lain low, which made it difficult to track her. Therefore, they were going around to each temple, one by one, until they had a better option. …It wasn't a terribly effective or promising method, but it was all they had to go on until she made a move. Thus, the ruins of the Tower of Mana were next. But first, they had to wait for morning.

Regal had walked somewhat near his wife as the eight of them picked their way to the inn, though he had kept a cautious distance, as well. She hadn't so much as acknowledged him in over an hour, since brushing him off. In all that time, he had been racking his brain to figure out what in the world he could possibly have done to offend, anger, or otherwise upset her. So far, he couldn't think of anything, but he hadn't passed himself as innocent quite yet. He could easily have made a slip-up without having realized it, as he had the day they had officially "fallen" for one another. He just wished she would _talk _to him about it the same way. Call him out. Scold him. Something besides the cold and secretive shoulder she was giving to him.

Before they arrived or checked into rooms, Raine parted from the group with the vague explanation of, "I just want a little fresh air." Regal halted and turned, prepared to follow her devotedly, but she stopped walking and addressed him without even looking back: "You don't have to play watch-dog, Regal. I will be fine. Besides, I would rather be alone."

She started walking before he could reply. Not that he would have found anything to say, regardless. She hadn't said it, but there seemed to be more implied by her tone: _"I would rather be alone…than with you." _…Did she feel that way, honestly? He blinked after her, feeling like she had just physically slapped him across the face. "…Raine…"

Slowly, Regal turned away and, with a frown creasing his brow, continued on after the others. If anyone knew what was going on, it would be Genis. The boy and his sister shared a very special, very close bond. Perhaps he could help decipher the healer's mysterious signals.

"Genis," the man hailed quietly as they all started to go their separate ways for the night.

Genis paused, looking over his shoulder and up at his brother-in-law with a blink. "Huh? What's up?" Turning, he stuck his hands in his pockets in a way that, under normal circumstances, would have been amusing. Tonight, though, Regal simply beckoned him out into the deserted cobblestone pathways.

"I would like to ask you something."

"…If this is about whether or not I'm comfortable having my niece or nephew be your kid—"

This time, the Lezareno president couldn't restrain the tamest of smiles. "No," he half-chuckled. "It has nothing to do that." The smile faded. "…Has Raine said anything to you about why she might be upset? Specifically, why she might be upset with me?"

Genis blinked again. "No…" He spoke slowly and deliberately, obviously skimming his memories and thoughts. "Not that I remember. Oh! But she did something weird the other day… It was right before we went to see Yuan. We were just talking about how weird it was that we're doing this all over again, and that you and she are married and expectant parents – uh, no offense – and then all at once, her mood kinda' just…changed. It was like she remembered something sad all at once. I don't know what it was about. She _said _it was just because she was worried about Likah, but I know my sister, and something's up."

Regal grimaced. "Yes. That's what I thought. She used the same excuse with me, but she was not particularly convincing. However, try as I might, I can't get her to say anything to me. In fact, she seems rather opposed to looking at me, much less having a conversation. I was hoping…you could help me."

"Talk to Raine?" The teen tilted his head. "You want me to use my boyish charm and brotherly influence to force the information out of 'er?"

"…In a word." If anyone could get into her head, it was her persistent little brother. Though, Genis made it sound like a lowdown, dirty trick… No. Regal shook off the thought. He was doing this to help her. If she wouldn't come out and say it on her own, she needed someone to draw it out of her. It was obvious that something was bothering her, and had been for days. He didn't want her to suffer in silence for whatever it was. It just wasn't right. He was her _husband_, for heaven's sake.

"Okay," came the chirped reply. Genis seemed a little too delighted to take on this undercover mission, Regal mused distractedly. "I may be sixteen, but I can still pester like a five year old. Just watch my smoke." He grinned mischievously and, with a bit of a salute, slipped around the taller man to find his sister. Regal watched him go, shaking his head gently. He only hoped that "smoke" was enough to get Raine to confess.

His little spy sent on his way, the nobleman linked his hands behind his back in an old habit and started ambling rather aimlessly down the dimly lit path. He went over the events of the past several days very carefully in his mind for the hundredth time, searching for any plausible explanation. It was not pleasant to feel so powerless to help the person he cared for most, and he certainly knew what it was like to harbor private wounds out of anyone else's sight. …He just wanted to be able to play with her hair again; to sit at her side and have her doze off with her head on his shoulder. The distance she was creating between them… It was painful.

Regal ended up walking the whole of Luin's intricate layout: across every bridge at least once, down every street, past every darkened house, all the while letting himself – perhaps foolishly – agonize over the situation. When at long last he arrived back at the inn, it was just in time to see Genis slip stealthily out the door. The boy nearly ran into him when he turned around. "Whoa! Oh… Regal. Guh. Don't do that."

"I'm sorry. Did you…speak with Raine?"

"Yeah…" He rubbed the back of his head. "She was a brick wall the whole time, though. She kept dancing around all my questions. I tried being sensitive, strict, even adorable… That's her story, and she's sticking to it. But…"

Regal blinked. "But…?"

Genis took a deep breath and released it in a puff. "We ended up coming back here to talk. After I left the room, though, I hung around outside. I happened to hear something weird, so I decided to start spying. When I looked in…I saw her get on her knees beside the bed and fold her hands – you know, like she was praying or something. She was quiet and still for a little bit, and then…she started crying. I mean, she was _crying_. She started sobbing in broken Elvish. She sounded like she was pleading for something. I don't know. All I know is that I've _never _seen Raine cry like that – ever! And she hasn't done anything remotely similar to praying since I was, like, four."

As Genis spoke, Regal's expression became progressively more drawn. "Elvish… Did you understand any of it, perchance?"

The boy shook his head. "Only a couple of simple words like 'please' and 'life.' Nothing else." He looked just as worried. "I let it go for now, though. I didn't know what else to do… She never keeps secrets like this from me…"

Regal set his jaw grimly and rested a large hand on the other's shoulder briefly. "We will solve this mystery. Thank you, Genis." With that, he stepped around him and entered the inn, heading up to the room he and his wife would theoretically share.

When he came to the door, he knocked briefly to announce his presence, and then stepped inside. Raine had her back to him, preparing to crawl into bed. She didn't even glance at him. "…Raine."

"Yes?" she replied evenly. There was no trace of tears in her calm, level voice, but he knew how talented she was at masking her emotions. He stepped forward, shutting the door behind him.

"I am not a fool, Raine. Neither is Genis. Both of us _know _something is bothering you, and both of us share equally the desire to help you. So please… _Why _won't you tell us?"

"There is nothing to tell, Regal. Quite frankly, I am tired of everyone smothering me with so-called concern. I am not a porcelain doll, and I am capable of taking care of myself. Back off."

Her words stalled him. …They hurt. But he swallowed and pressed forward. "Do you not trust me?" he asked, almost desperately. "Have I done something to hurt you, or make you angry with me? If so, Raine, please, I implore you to tell me so that I may set things right!"

"Apparently, it is you who does not trust me. I tell you repeatedly that nothing is amiss, and yet you refuse to believe me. Because I am weary and concerned about Likah's whereabouts and actions, clearly I _must _be concealing something else underneath it all. That is what you think, is it not?" She still had yet to turn around. In fact, the whole time she spoke, she kept a cool, almost icy tone, and her back remained the only thing he could see as she settled herself in. That alone was enough testimony to him that she was lying. "...Regal. I am tired. I am going to sleep. Goodnight."

That appeared to be the end of it. He started to step forward again, but it faltered. "Raine…" Regal stared at her, beyond confused. But it seemed…she would give him no more tonight. Thus, flustered and wounded, the man left their room. He wasn't sure where he was going, exactly, but she clearly did not want him there right then.

What he didn't see, however, was the single tear that dampened the pillow as he left.

--

Awwww! Poor Regal! Raine, why must you keep secrets from—

Raine: -Evil glare-

…Right…uh…Okay, then. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Raine: When it comes to dealing with _you_, girl, there is no "right side".

You certainly are grouchy. And all Regal wants to do is help. You make a lousy wife.

Raine: If you say…one more word…

o.o Ohcrap. Readers, please review. –Hides-


	11. Two Down

Yay. I updated. xD Granted, it's not as long as the last one, but hey… You can't have everything, can you?

Raine: In my case, I have _nothing _when it comes to you.

Oh, please! It's all because of me that you have a loving (OCD) husband, and a babeh on the way.

Raine: -.- Joy.

…Poor Regal. He must be off slitting his wrists or something with all the hate you give him.

Raine: Just shut up.

Meanie. Oh, by the way, readers. I had one of you who shared their insight and their own predictions as to what's going on. I'm actually curious to know what the rest of you foresee! Feel free to PM me, or put it in a review, or whatever. I'd love to get your thoughts.

Raine: Because, inevitably, they are better than hers.

Hurhur. -Tongue out-

--

The longer she waited, the worse she made things. She knew that. Her _mind_ knew that. Her heart, though… Her heart couldn't take it. How childish was that? Logically, she was able to see what she _should_ do, but emotionally, she was too weak to do it. And so, this cycle would continue, until… Raine gave an involuntary shudder and forced herself to try to think rationally on one point, at least: she was not yet dead certain that her suspicions were correct. Of course, continuing this way, she might not know until too late. Still, though, she clung stubbornly onto what felt like false hope – or rather, she told herself she would. Yet, with every passing hour, the pessimism she preferred to call "realism" gnawed at her, keeping her fears looming in plain sight every time she took a step, stood up, or saw her reflection. This feeling…wasn't normal. And like her husband, she tended to agonize over things. Not in quite the same way, perhaps, but even so…

She did hate doing this to the others – Regal in particular. She just couldn't help it. Her own worries manifested themselves as anger. And, in some twisted way, she felt that distancing herself might help. Again, where was the logic in that? So, then, when it came down to it, she was no wiser than young, impulsive Lloyd. What a thought that was. It was just… Before this issue had been raised, if it had been anyone else, she would have berated them mercilessly for keeping it a secret. But…it wasn't someone else. It was her. It was her grief. It was her child. And so here was level-headed, reasonable, down-to-earth Raine, hiding behind the same mask she always had, even as dangerous and outright _stupid _as it was. Life was certainly ironic.

As they prepared to leave Luin, Raine did her part in cool silence. She could tell that Regal was still bothered by their exchange the night before, and it was clear that most of the others felt the tension, too, but she said nothing about it. Her face was the picture of passiveness.

Eventually, Regal had come back to the room and gone to sleep. She knew this because she had spent most of the night unable to fall into slumber. She had even started shivering at some point, but when she had felt him attempt to draw her closer for warmth, she had pointedly shifted away from his touch. She wasn't even certain if he had been exactly conscious for that, but feeling his arm come about her had only tightened her throat and made the shaking worse.

Now, straightening and turning to trail after the others, Raine took a deep breath and used a few seconds to banish the traces of her troubling thoughts. She opened her eyes when a young voice called her name.

"Lady Raine?"

Turning toward the source, she found herself looking down at the earnest, innocent face of a little human girl, no older than seven. "Yes?" she asked with a blink.

The child beamed, holding up a small handful of wildflowers. "My mommy said that you're gonna be a mommy soon, too."

Raine forced a gentle smile and accepted the gift. "That's right."

"My little brother just got borned a couple months ago. Mommy looked a lot like you before he came. She's always real pretty, but she was even prettier then. She was always smilin' and happy. She used to sit in front of the fireplace and sing to him. That was before he got borned. She was extra snuggly, too. And I got to talk to him all the time. One time, I told him about Patches, my puppy, and mommy said he got so 'cited that he started kickin' real hard!" She grinned.

The half-elf lifted her free hand to her stomach absently with a tiny, hollow chuckle. "I see."

"Uh-huh! Now I play with him all the time. He's so cute! Your baby don't have no brothers or sisters to play with, though, huh?"

"No. This will be our first, just as you are to your parents." Raine pet the girl's head maternally.

"Then you're gonna have to do a loooot of playin'," the child replied on a sage nod. "'Cause if there's anything I know 'bout babies, it's that they don't do nothin' but eat, sleep, get their icky diapers changed, and play all day when they're not doin' the other stuff! And if your baby don't have no brothers or sisters, it's gonna be awful bored. So you and its daddy are gonna have to learn all those baby games."

"Milly!" came another woman's voice. Raine glanced up.

The girl, Milly, twisted to look over her shoulder at an older woman who cradled a sleeping infant in her arms. "That's my mommy and my brother. I gotta go now. I'm glad I got to see you. I was real little when you came and helped us, but I still 'member. Plus, there's a big stone you by the mayor's house. It's real pretty, too!" She trotted a step or two toward her mother, and then paused and looked back. "You should try singin' to your baby before it gets borned. Mommy says babies need to know pretty things before they see the world, and it makes 'em real happy to hear their mommies singin'. Bye!"

Milly waved ecstatically, nearly tripping as she tried to run at the same time. Raine watched her go, straightening slowly. She watched as the child threw her arms about the woman's legs and looked up, glowing with energy and a childlike happiness. She watched Milly's mother, and the smile with which she regarded her enthusiastic daughter. She watched as the mother of two bent down to let Milly kiss her baby brother's cheek. And she turned away with her jaw tightly clenched.

As she did, she was startled – though not surprised, honestly – to see Regal standing nearby, observing it all. "She is correct," he confided quietly. "You are…'real pretty.'" He offered a tame smile. "And I have no doubt that our child would enjoy hearing you sing to it."

"…We have more pressing concerns at the moment." She slipped easily back into her analytical, no-nonsense façade, and started walking purposefully. The flowers were still in her hand, all but forgotten.

Regal fell into step beside her, albeit with a bit more distance between them than before. They had fallen somewhat behind, but the rest of the group, while they turned to make certain their missing members were still there, chose to give the couple some space.

"Raine," he finally ventured after a moment. "Will you still not tell me what I have done?"

"You have done nothing, Regal, save repeat yourself needlessly. I apologize for my outburst last night; I was fatigued." There was nothing warm in her tone, though. It was more like pardoning herself from bumping into a complete stranger. "We should be focusing on Likah right now." It was basically another brush off; she was killing any intimacy between them before it had a chance to start, and she was fairly certain he caught onto that fact.

Thus, they lapsed into another unresolved silence. Raine looked down, catching sight of the fistful of flowers she held. Gently, she drew them across her middle, as though giving the baby a chance to smell them. …As though it would do anything. Shaking her head slightly, she dropped the blossoms, just as Sheena and Lloyd trotted back toward them, the others in tow.

The duke and his wife blinked at them in unison. Sheena spoke as Lloyd caught his breath. "It's Likah," she breathed. "Both Efreet's and Celsius' gems…have gone out."

Raine's eyes widened. _Both_?

--

DUNDUNDUN. …Teehee. n.n

Raine: -Sigh-

What?

Raine: Twit.

…Wow. That was a brilliant explanation; thanks, Raine.

Raine: Well, I could go into elaborate detail, if you would like.

No, thanks. You've said it all before. We don't want to clutter up this chapter with your analytical mumbo-jumbo, now do we?

Raine: Oh, yes. Because it would be _so _much worse than _your _garbage.

What is your PROBLEM lately? X.x Good grief. –Singsong- Hooormmoooonness. Readers? Review!


	12. Page From the Old Book

Heyyy, lookie, a new chapter. ^-^ ...Finally.

Raine: Is there really any point to my rebuttal?

No. Probably not.

Raine: I figured as much. Though, you *are* at least planning on giving these fools an explanation, yes?

Oh, right, yeah... To all readers of my former/current/future works... I'm very sorry about the site screwing up my chapters and blending out-of-character in with in-character stuff. I know it's disconcerting and difficult to seperate the two, but they changed the HTML thing on me, and I have not felt like going through each individual chapter of every story (I have, like, twenty-four) to fix it. So... Please bear wit me and fanfiction-net's silliness.

Now. On!

* * *

"How closely have you been watching them?" demanded Raine, before anyone else could say anything. That mattered in relation to just how quickly their angelic antagonist could move.

Sheena shook her head and lifted her hands to show the makeshift bracelets around both wrists, each bearing four of the eight elemental pact stones. Origin's diamond was hanging from her neck. That one wouldn't go out unless all of the others did first. "I keep looking down to make sure. I think I'm getting paranoid. But it gets worse."

Beside the half-elf, Regal frowned. "How?" he asked, though his tone sounded like he didn't _really _want to know. None of them probably did.

By this time, Lloyd had recovered himself for the most part. He straightened with a cough. "They went out…at the same time. While we watched. She didn't just go from one side of the world to the other in an hour or two…"

"…She formed both pacts at the same time," Raine finished for him. How was that _possible_, though? In order to form a pact, one had to meet the Summon Spirit in its temple, at its altar. Then, one had to best it in battle and, if successful, make a vow. How had Likah done that simultaneously with _two _Spirits…?

"How's that possible?" Genis asked, looking up and around at everyone as though searching for the answer in somebody's face.

She shook her head slowly, stumped as he was. As they all were. "I have no idea," she admitted quietly. "But we do know what it means: we have much less time than we thought. How many pacts do we still have?" Raine looked toward Sheena, who then checked her bracelets.

"Looks like… Looks like we still have all of the others."

"That's a plus, at least," piped in Zelos, scratching his cheek. Even he looked a bit nervous.

But again, the healer shook her head. "Not much of one. If she has the capability of forming two at once, she only has to do that three more times before she can go to Origin himself. And if she acquires that pact…" Her brow creased. That would be…beyond catastrophic.

"We can't let that happen…" Lloyd furrowed his brow, gazing intently at the ground in the expression they had all learned to recognize in him as thought. "Okay, so. She has Maxwell, Celsius, and Efreet." The young man counted on his fingers. "That leaves…Sylph, Gnome, Shadow, Luna and Aska, Volt, Undine, and Origin, with whom Sheena still holds pacts."

Raine watched him, vaguely amused and impressed with the reasoning her former pupil seemed to be working out. He was actually _thinking_, rather than just acting. Maybe he had learned something, after all.

"But, hang on." He looked toward Sheena. "If _Sheena _had all the pacts…then how did Likah form new ones? Sheena's still alive. If a Summoner is still alive, and the pact isn't broken…isn't it absolute?" He looked confused.

"…Maybe, strictly speaking, the pacts _were _broken," suggested Regal. "Sheena, what, exactly, did you vow to each Summon Spirit?" That was a long shot. Would she remember word for word?

"Uh… All of the vows I made were to help people, but…I couldn't quote myself verbatim." Sheena grimaced a bit. "…Sorry."

Zelos looked around at all of the dismal expressions. "Why are you getting so gloomy? Just ask the Summon Spirits. It's in the natural law of their existence; they're bound to remember a Summoner's vow. How else could they know if a pact was broken?" He shrugged. When all eyes went to him, every brow lifted and every face looking startled, his own expression turned hurt. "Geez, what are those looks for?"

"That's actually a pretty good idea," admitted Raine. Something else occurred to her as she turned her attention away from Zelos, who looked even more distressed when everyone began ignoring him again. In these few, blessed moments of distraction, she didn't have to think of all that plagued her frayed and fragile nerves at present. "You know… There is another possibility that might explain why some other pacts may have been, or may in the future be, lost to Likah."

"Something besides breaking the vows?" asked Genis, tilting his head up at his sister.

She nodded. "Yes. It's just a theory; I have no idea if I'm correct or not. We would probably do better to ask Origin, but… Perhaps it is not only _breaking _the vow that will disrupt the pact, but also fulfilling it."

Lloyd blinked, and everyone looked at her. "…Huh?"

"Hear me out." It was a puzzle. She had something to reason out, explain with logic. Something else to occupy her mind – and she was all over it. She could forget the pain, and the sickness, and the light-headedness, and the fear, and the regret, if only for a moment. Oh, goddess Martel, thank you. Raine turned to meet Lloyd's stare, though Regal was closer; she still couldn't bring herself, even subconsciously, to look at him.

"When a summoner pacts with a Summon Spirit, he or she does it to accomplish a purpose, and whatever that purpose is, the vow will correspond to it. For instance, Sheena promised three years ago to germinate the Great Seed, among other things. That was a vow that fit the need and desires of the moment. I imagine most vows would be similar."

"Oh, okay. I think I get that." Lloyd nodded absently.

"Yes. Moreover, using the same example, we _did _germinate the Great Seed, even if it had the opposite effect to that which we intended. Therefore, the vow she made was fulfilled. She did not make an ongoing, idyllic, generic promise, but rather, a promise to _do _something, and something specific. She kept her promise. But what if that meant that the pact could then be severed, because it was brought, if you will, full circle? If I'm right, then some of the pacts we still hold cold already be completed. We may hold the power of those Summon Spirits simply because no other Summoner has bound them to him- or herself yet. But as soon as a new pact maker shows up…"

"We'll lose those pacts, too," finished Regal, grimly, though there was a hint of admiration and pride in the gaze he had turned toward her.

Raine shook her head, pretending either not to notice, or not to care. "Like I said, it's just a theory."

"I'm still kind of confused," Lloyd confessed, scratching the back of his head. "But regardless, we need to stop her. Obviously, for whatever reason, she's able to break Sheena's pacts and make her own. We can worry about the how and why later."

Here, Zelos decided to pipe up again. Perhaps he felt as though he had momentum of genius on his side. "Alright, so we need to cut her off at the pass, right? Then can't we just head to the nearest Temple and wait for her there?"

Sheena shook her head. "But she's able to confront two Summon Spirits at a time, and she can't be in two places at once. That means that she only has to go to one Temple, and she'll meet both halves of the elemental pair. How could we be sure we went to the right one?"

Raine frowned. That was problematic, indeed… "Then perhaps it's time we took a page from our old book," she suggested after a moment.

"You mean splitting into two groups?" chimed in Genis, looking up at his sister. The siblings Sage thought alike in many ways, and sure enough, the healer gave him a nod.

"It's far from ideal, given Likah's abilities, but it's the only guarantee of catching her." She was not thrilled with the notion of splitting their forces against an already powerful enemy, but if one never took chances, one never saw results. Right?

Lloyd seemed to be weighing the facts, as well; and by the looks of his expression, he was coming to the same conclusion. There was no alternative if they wanted to nip this thing in the bud. "…Alright… I guess we don't have a choice." He heaved a sigh.

"The Tower of Mana is closest, which means that we ought to address the bond of Light and Darkness. We have no idea which pair she'll go for next, but sooner or later she'll have to wind up either there, or at Shadow's altar."

"Okay… I'll head up one team. Uhh…" Lloyd glanced briefly at Colette. But then, the blond had never been very good at making decisions like this for herself… Raine shook her head and turned toward the ninja.

"Sheena, why don't you take the other and head to the Temple of Darkness? You probably know the most about Summon Spirits out of our group."

Sheena nodded. "Right. So who's up for a road trip with me, huh? …Zelos, put your hand down." The roll of her eyes was evident even in her voice.

"I'll go with Sheena and Zelos," offered Colette.

"I would prefer not to travel more than I have to," the former professor stated softly. Now that the logic puzzle was out of the way, she was beginning to feel ill again. ..If she passed out…

Lloyd nodded. "That's a good idea. Okay, you come with me."

Beside her, she felt rather than saw Regal give Lloyd a silent request with his eyes and the tiniest inclination of his head toward her. And to herself, she closed her eyes in vague disappointment. She had hoped he would go with Sheena's team. But, of course, why did his persistence surprise her? She sighed inwardly.

"I want to stick with Raine," Genis declared. Lovely. Another protective male.

"Then I will join Sheena and the others." Presea dipped her head in a nod.

And so it was that Raine, together with Lloyd, Genis, and Regal, watched Sheena, Zelos, Presea, and Colette mount their rheairds and head off toward the horizon, after exchanged wishes of luck and safety for all. Raine shielded her eyes from the afternoon sun. After a moment, her vision blurred briefly, and she felt herself nearly lose balance. Luckily, she caught it before she had fallen over.

She lowered her head and closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to settle her nerves and stomach alike. It was getting worse… Her nose tingled, there was a sting behind her eyes—no. She bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. She was not going to cry. Not here, not now. Not…in front of him.

Her body shuddered when she felt a hand touch her shoulder; heard a soft voice ask beside her ear, "Raine?"

She pulled away and turned her head from Regal. "We should get moving, too," she stated, leaving no room for questioning as she started to walk. She knew that he hung back for a moment, and she could feel that confused, injured stare he had on her back, but still she walked, pressing harder and harder on her tongue.


	13. No More Running

Tadaaaaaa! It's late at night, I have to go to the bathroom, I didn't eat dinner, and I'm BACK with a new chapter at last!

Raine: ...All things we really didn't need to know.

What? Of course you needed to know. I really have to go. But I was so dedicated to you two that I sat here like a good little girl and finished the lastest installment of this wonderful work of artistic brilliance!

Raine: You're an _idiot_.

Yes. But I'm your idiot :D.

Raine: I feel so blessed. Truly.

You should! And so should you, readers! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The voices of those around her; the footsteps all four of them made upon the grass and sparse dirt paths; her own breaths, heavier than they should be. All of this was beginning to blend together, a collage of background noise her weary, already-burdened mind could not put out the effort to decipher. Before them, the Tower of Mana loomed like an old friend turned arch nemesis, outlined with the mid-morning sun whose disk it hid from their view. It was hazy around the edges when she lifted her eyes to look at it, though. Everything she saw, in fact, seemed to dance and waver and shift. A dull ache was creeping up into her temple, and the nausea with which she had started this day was only growing worse. For now, while she forced her body to carry her forward with the others, she was allowing every other function the freedom to lapse into disuse. She was, as Zelos might have put it, on "auto-pilot" for the time being. It was so much easier that way.

Beside her on one side was Regal, his expression laced with concern and frustration - even desperation. Several times, as she seemed to nearly trip, he reached out to steady her. And each time, she took hold of his wrist before his hand could touch her and gently - or weakly - pushed it away. Something was wrong. It wasn't just some domestic squabble, a lover's quarrel. Something was _wrong _with her. Her head was lowered, hair curtaining most of her face from view, as usual, but he could see how labored her breaths were by the movement of that hair. Now and then, he was able to catch a glimpse of the forehead damp with sweat. And he could feel his own insides twisting with anxiety. From the first day he had met her, she had been prone to hiding things, but there was more to it now. More at stake. _She _was at stake. He wasn't stupid.

Near her on the other side was Genis. The boy kept tossing nervous glances up toward his sister. Even Lloyd, leading the way, had an eye on her over his shoulder. It had become so _obvious _to everyone by now - so why did she insist upon being so stubborn? She should not have come. He should not have let her come. He should have fought her harder when she insisted. Most of all, he should have been there to protect her. He _wanted _to be there now, if only she would let him.

At last, they ascended the shallow slope of steps up to the mechanical doorway into the Tower. Raine was glad they were no steeper; she might not have been able to force herself up. That did beg the question, however: what would she do when they got inside, where _everything _was steep, spiraling staircases? Joy.

"Ah… Prof-I mean, Raine?"

She raised her head at last at this awkward prod from Lloyd. It took her a couple tries, but after clearing her throat and drawing a deep, steadying breath, she replied with a simple, "Yes?"

Red-brown eyes flicked from Genis, who shifted his weight from one foot to the other, to Regal, who carefully drew his hands behind his back before closing them into anxious fists. Finally, they settled back on the half-elf - who, despite her onset of frailty, somehow managed to retain in that cocked eyebrow a ghost of her old intimidating impatience. "Er. Well, you're the only one who knows…" He glanced over his shoulder toward the door. It had been left open, last they had known. Something - or someone - had since caused it to close. It sent a little ripple of paranoia throughout the entire group; but nothing was said. Nothing needed to be said. The situation was bleak enough already.

"…How to use magi technology. Yes." She straightened further, looking past the other three and toward the door. She moved from her spot between husband and brother and approached the old doorway, worn but ever sturdy despite the many catastrophes it had seen. Up close, the Tower looked even more in disrepair than it had seemed on their approach; it was a miracle this wonder of the ancients was still intact. A tribute to magi technology, if ever she had seen one.

She almost smiled as she touched the cool, smooth surface. Almost. She had to brace herself on that door briefly, though, leaning her forehead ever so lightly against it, and that sufficiently doused any wonder or nostalgia that may have threatened her already lacking composure. "The key, Lloyd. Do you still have-" She broke off and blinked at the youth as he seemed to appear out of nowhere at her side, holding out a small, oddly-shaped trinket. "…Thank you."

Lloyd's face was sober as he held her own gaze for a moment. There was an insight in his eyes that she was admittedly a bit proud of - but she met it nonetheless with her best brush-off and turned back to the door. Soon enough, it opened with a hiss and a gust of stale, dusty air. She shielded her face with an arm while beside her, Lloyd sneezed rather comically. Afterward, the healer backed away once more to allow him to take point. She had no desire to lead anyone anywhere. Not in this state. She half suspected that Lloyd had called upon her purposefully to open the door in an attempt to draw her out; it was a simple matter, in this case, of inserting the key. Anyone could have done it. Perhaps he was getting more clever after all.

There they stood, all four of them, peering into the neglected and all but forgotten library that was the base of the Tower. Lloyd took a deep breath, let it out in a puff, and turned to face the others. "Well, guys… I'm not sure if I should say we'll be lucky if we meet Likah here, but we might. And if we do, we've gotta stop her right here. Ready?"

There was a hesitation, and then a collective nod passed between everyone. Passing through the doorway, wide enough only for two walking abreast, Regal took his place by her side - perhaps selfishly. Instinct told him to take her hand; experience forbade it. Genis fell into step behind, though he was still close, and soon enough, the foursome found themselves looking around at the magically-lit dais, stone doorways, and old bookshelves. There were cracks running up and down every wall like eerie spider webs - of which there were also plenty in reality. The structure had not come down in the jarring quakes, but it was not exactly stable, either. It was…unnerving, to say the least.

"Should we…head up to altar, you think?" asked Genis, his wary gaze fixed to one of the crumbling doorways. "I mean, if she wants the pact, that's where she'll go. Right?"

Finally, he drew his eyes away from Raine to look at the two younger men. "It may be safer to remain here. The reuniting of the worlds wreaked havoc upon this tower; there is no longer access to the altar from the sky. If she wants to speak with Luna and Aska, she will have to come this way, as well." That was good on multiple levels, and he was glad he had happened to take notice of the half-collapsed roof on the way. They would not have climb - a glance at Raine, who had wandered away and was now leaning against the unused oracle stone - and Likah could not beat them to the altar unless she first went through them. It was not an end-all, but it was an advantage, and they needed every foothold they could find in this uphill struggle.

Lloyd relaxed visibly and took a sweeping look around."…Man. It's been so long since the last time we were here. Even longer since we had to use that thing." He gestured to his former professor's support.

"It's kind of a weird feeling," Genis agreed. He linked his hands behind his head and arched his back inward to take in the ceiling. "Of course, feeling like it may come crashing down on us at any minute doesn't really help."

"Thanks a lot, Genis."

A smile or two flickered on a couple of faces, and then silence fell again. The boys both took to pacing the circular room, the scuffing of their feet echoing loudly against the ancient walls. Little tidbits of quiet conversation passed between them now and then; memories, musings, questions and discussions of what might happen next. All any of them could do now was wait.

She had left the stone and moved to the books lining the wall. Presently, one hand gripped one of the shelves tightly enough to whiten her knuckles. Her head was lowered, nose almost touching the worn and faded spine of one of the tomes. Her back was turned to everyone else, but she was trying desperately to regain herself. She felt sick, heavy, tired both physically and emotionally. It was getting worse. Her vision was deteriorating; Martel only knew how long it would be until she outright collapsed. She was not even alert enough to sense his approach, until he was already at her side.

Raine jumped, breathing in sharply as he touched his fingertips to her shoulder. Turning her head to look at him, she felt the familiar lump rise in her throat. "…Yes?" was her only verbal acknowledgement, however.

"Raine… Tell me. Please. I am begging you…" His voice was little more than a whisper as he moved in close enough for her to feel his body heat. His hand lifted to cup her chin and raise it. Pain was evident in every line of worry etched into his face. "You mean more to me than anything else in the world. You know that, yes?"

"…I am aware." She raised her own hand in an attempt to remove his, but it only slid around the back of her neck, as though to cradle the base of her skull, brushing her cheek on the way. The knot tightened, and she closed her eyes. "Regal, now…is not the time."

"Now is the _only _time I have been able to corner you. Every time I try to speak with you, to approach you…to touch you…you pull away. You deny me. Do I not deserve to know _why_?"

_This is why_, she thought. Her throat ached, and she could feel the rising sting of tears behind her eyes through the growing lightheadedness. She did not dare open those eyes. "Regal, I told you-"

"You have told me nothing, Raine. Nothing, at all. For days. You have a terrible habit of keeping things - important things - to yourself. It did not help on our first journey, and it is not helping _now._"

"Genis and I are going to look around for a bit."

Regal turned his head to look at Lloyd, his hand still threaded through his wife's hair. She had not stirred, her face still upturned and eyes closed. "…Be careful," he advised to youthful pair. With his eyes, and the slightest nod of his head, he answered their own silent inquiries, and slowly, cautiously, swordsman and mage headed through one of the doorways.

"…We should go with them." This was Raine's statement as she moved to free herself from his hold and follow. This time, however, he was determined.

"No." Regal stretched his free arm out and flattened his palm against the wall behind her, forming a bar next to her head. He had been correct; she was, indeed, standing in a corner - and he could not be more grateful. "You are not going to run this time. I have left you alone and respected your distance - for long enough. Something is wrong with you. It is _blatantly _obvious, to everyone. I thought you were angry with me. Perhaps you are. But there is more to it now, and I will not let you run this time."

She turned her head back toward the books, at least one hand balled into a fist at her side. He could no longer see her face, but he continued. "You are important to me. Whether you care or not is up to you, but you, our marriage, our life, is important to _me_. Right now, it is threatened, and…" He cursed mildly under his breath. "I have the right to know _why_!"

For a few seconds, as the echoes from his voice subsided, neither of them moved. Neither of them spoke. Finally, his tense shoulders relaxed, and he lowered his head toward hers. The hand pressed against the wall drew back to comb its fingers gently through her hair. "Please, Raine," he urged much more softly. "Please. I don't want to lose you. I want to help you. You are my wife. The woman I love. The mother of my child." He rested his forehead against her temple, holding her head close with both hands now. "Don't do this to us. Don't put the baby in danger-"

Here, a harsh sob broke the tender quiet. In his grasp, the woman shuddered. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't. As he lifted his head and turned her face toward him, she met his eyes with agony in her own. Tears streamed down her cheeks faster than he could brush them away, and her shoulders lurched in another sob. But his visage was hazy and dark, and not just from the tears. "I'm sorry," she told him brokenly, squeezing her eyes shut against the nauseating sway of her entire world. "I'm sorry…"

She drew another sharp breath as pain shot white-hot through her body. A cry followed, filling the chamber. She felt her legs fail her, and as she started to fall, she offered one more urgent whisper:

"_The baby…_"

* * *

Finally, Regal gets to say his peace. After being avoided like the plague for the past week-

Raine: I only try that with you.

...Yeah? How's that workin' out for you so far?

Raine: Twit.

You know. You keep calling _me _stupid, but _you're _the one who never has an intelligent answer to any of my questions.

Raine: Give me an intelligent question, and I will offer an intelligent response.

That was a predictable line, Raine. You're resorting to clichés.

Raine: It is, apparently, the only way to communicate with you. Your entire life as a "writer" IS a cliché! Revolting, "romantic" garbage. Give it a rest!

...wha? Did you say something? Sorry, I was busy drooling over fanart... ANYWAY. Readers! It's late! I'm tired! Review!

Raine: Just kill me now.


End file.
